Should Old Aquaintance Be Forgot?
by Gruaigrua
Summary: Sarah Jane Smith gets an unexpected visitor on Christmas Eve. This is a prelude to another story that I hope to post soon.Final Chapter posted. Thanks for reading. Reviews always welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Should Old Aquaintance Be Forgot… 

Chapter 1

A flashing cursor blinked back rudely from the blank page on Sarah Jane Smith's pc. It was almost as if it was taunting her. Her editor expected 1000 words on his desk - well, emailed to his pc - within the next 24 hours, public holidays be damned! And it wasn't as if Sarah was short of a story or two. Oh no, she could tell him stories that would cause the rest of his greying hair to fall out. Most would win her awards for fiction, despite being true… Either that, or they'd get her locked as the rantings of a crazy lady. Best not to go there at all, really.

It was quite late on Christmas Eve. Clicking between websites, Sarah noticed that was reporting a severe electrical storm over London. Several forks of lightning hit the ground causing some structural damage, but no serious injuries. Switching on the television, BBC News 24 had eye witness reports from several bystanders and already the conspiracy theories were surfacing. How could there have been a lightning storm with clear skies? How could a storm cause the Thames to go dry for nearly an hour before the waters began to rise again? Why did it look like the lightning was coming from a large star-shaped object in the sky that either exploded, or was blown up, depending on which eye witness you spoke to. There was a metrological expert on hand to explain the phenomenon… and, of course, to blame it on the effects of global warming.

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes and switched the tv off again. It was probably UNIT, or Torchwood or the Doctor – maybe even all three – saving the world from _another_ Christmas alien invasion. Tomorrow nobody would care. They'd be too busy settling down for a day of too much food, drink and _Eastenders_. The news outlets were curiously devoid of any mention of the anniversary of the giant spaceship that hovered over London and held a third of the population in a trance on the rooftops. People tend to forget what they can't comprehend or explain… it's easier that way. What wasn't getting any easier was the attempt to fill the still blank page in front of her! A glass of wine would help her minor case of writer's block. She went to the wine rack in her kitchen and chose a nice Burgundy, bought on a recent trip to the eponymous wine region in France and placed it by the hearth where she had a roaring log fire burning.

She loved Christmas Eve. The calm before the storm. Her day to kick back and relax before the chaos of Christmas day and dinner with friends. Thankfully, not at her house this year. The last time it was her turn, she was cleaning up until the 27th, but oh what fun it all was! _The Rat Pack Christmas Album_ played quietly in the background. Seasonal easy listening, but without the Christmas _cheese factor_ of Slade or Shakin' Stevens. Pouring her wine, Sarah decided that her blank page could stay blank. She could rustle something up tomorrow before her departure. Right now, she was going to curl up on her couch in front of a gorgeous fire, with a delicious wine to watch a classic film. A perfect end to the day.

And then the doorbell rang.

It was 10.30pm. A little late for carollers. She peered through the peephole just to make sure it wasn't some drunk passer by, or kids messing. She gasped at the familiar face and had the door opened in seconds.

"Hello, Sarah Jane." The Doctor, the new one she'd met at Deffry Vale a few months back, had a wide grin on his face. "Merry Christmas." He stepped over the threshold and embraced her in a tight hug (The Doctor always knew how to give a _great_ hug!). "It's so good to see you again." He whispered in her ear, as he continued to hold her close for longer than she would have expected. Sarah suspected that something was wrong. He was alone, for a start. No Rose or Mickey – but it was Christmas so maybe they were with family. She hadn't heard from him since that day in Deffry Vale – hadn't expected to either. They said their goodbyes and she'd made her peace with never seeing him again.

When they broke from the hug, he kept his arm around her shoulders, still smiling at her, but for all the mirth in his smile, his brandy coloured eyes said differently. There was something not quite right and if she was to get to the bottom of what was troubling the Doctor, Sarah Jane would have to tread carefully. They entered her living room, warm and inviting with it's roaring fire and subtle lighting. The Doctor sat down on the couch.

"How are you?" Sarah Jane asked. "Are you hungry? Can I get you some food, or I've just opened some wine, how about a glass?" She barely gave him time to answer.

"A glass of wine would be great." The Doctor said quietly. There was a short silence while Sarah Jane left the room. "I… I suppose you're wondering why I'm here." he called after her, almost like he couldn't bear the quiet.

"Well yes, now that you mention it." Sarah smiled fetching another glass from the kitchen.

"I wanted to see if you were okay after the… " he paused for a moment. "The eh… Daleks and Cybermen."

"I'm fine." She sat down beside him and handed over a good sized glass of Burgundy. "At the time it was quite terrifying, but thankfully I made contact with the people important to me… Here on Earth anyway."

"Oh. That's right. It happened a few months ago. I just… I got sidetracked after I took care of things. Feels like it happened only yesterday." He scrunched his eyes, rubbing them vigorously with his thumb and forefinger and then took a long drink of his wine.

"Tell me." Sarah said, looking him in the eye and placing a gentle hand on his knee. She anticipated a brace of cheery denials '_Tell you what? Everything's peachy! Hunky Dory! Coming up Roses, even!'_ She never expected what happened next…

"She's gone." The Doctor said quietly, his voice thick with emotion, like it might break at any second. "Rose is gone and I'll never get her back."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

"Rose is gone and I'll never get her back."

Sarah's heart sank. _Gone_ could mean just about anything. Rose left him, or they left each other… Or Rose was dead… That wasn't a thought Sarah Jane wanted to entertain. She desperately needed to know what had happened, but The Doctor looked so shellshocked, she was afraid that he'd clam up on her, or worse… He'd just leave again. "It was different with her, wasn't it?" Sarah Jane asked. "You loved her." The Doctor nodded. Sarah couldn't avoid the question any longer. "Is she dead?"

"No!" The Doctor exclaimed. "God, no. Sorry, I'm not really explaining this well, am I? You have to understand, she came along at a time when things were very bad. I'd just lost everyone. The Time War wiped them all out… and it was hard. And it was horrible… And I had lost any desire to go on. I traced these Autons to a shop in London where Rose was working. I was going to blow the place up with me in it… Just finish it all and find some peace." He closed his eyes and sighed. "And then I saw her. If I hadn't led her out of there, she'd have been killed in the explosion."

"Love at first sight?"

"Not in the slightest!" The Doctor laughed. "I followed a signal to her flat, sorted out a bit of bother and then she started following me. Asking me questions, not in the least bit phased or scared by what I said to her. So I asked her to come with me. She saved me. Saved my life… saved me from myself. And I never told her."

"I don't doubt that you will get the chance to." Sarah said quietly. "You always find a way."

"Any attempt to retrieve Rose will result in the collapse of at least two universes." The Doctor sighed. "I've searched for rifts, gaps, micro fractures and I've done the calculations. It's impossible… and that's a word I'm not too fond of."

Sarah sighed. He was still trying to make light of the situation, which meant he was _really_ hurting. She took his hand between hers and looked straight into his sad, tired eyes. "Just tell me. Tell me everything."

And he did. The Doctor told Sarah Jane everything that happened in Torchwood Tower. How the Tylers and Mickey were now in a parallel universe and his frantic search to find a way through to Rose. And while he didn't get the breakthrough he was looking for, "…At least I got to say goodbye. Give her some closure." He smiled sadly, trying to fight back the tears. "And before I could draw breath, the next thing that happens is that there is a woman, in a wedding dress, _in my TARDIS_."

"A _wedding dress_?" Sarah laughed. "You didn't waste any time!"

"Yeah!" The Doctor smiled. "Get_ me, _Tiger! My mail order bride from _Gobby Brides R Us_ arrived just in time!"

"You know, It wouldn't have been the first time someone wandered in to the TARDIS, uninvited." Sarah Jane laughed. "Where were you parked?"

"Oh, a few miles from a supernova." The Doctor took another long drink of wine, draining his glass.

"Are you sure you're not confusing it with a _Superdrugs_?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, feeling relieved that she had raised his spirits a little.

He smiled as he picked up the nearby wine bottle and refilled his own glass and topped up Sarah Jane's. "I suppose you heard about the Thames?"

"You?"

"Me."

"I _knew_ it!"

"It's not like we did it on purpose."

"_We_?" Sarah Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes… Donna Noble. The afformentioned woman in the wedding dress." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "A _virago_ of a woman… I suppose I couldn't really blame her, though. She _was_ walking down the aisle when she got transported to the TARDIS." The Doctor spent the next hour regaling Sarah Jane with his antics with Donna. Wayne, The Rachnoss, Huon particles, evil Christmas Trees, Robot Santas and car chases on the motorway all culminating in the draining of the Thames. "And that led me here… To you. I know we said goodbye last Summer and you didn't expect to see me again… But… I" he began to falter. "I just couldn't be alone. I needed a friendly face." His head dropped and he couldn't look at her. Sarah silently wrapped her arms around The Doctor and held him close to her. She could give a good hug too! The Doctor held on to her, never more grateful for some contact. "Thank you." He whispered.

When he eventually released his hold on her, Sarah Jane couldn't help but stare at his tired eyes. They had none of the sparkle that had been there in Deffry Vale. They weren't dead, but not close off fatally wounded. "Look at you." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "You're exhausted. When was the last time you actually ate something?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. Dinner at Jackie's before going to Torchwood? A couple of days ago?… Another lifetime ago? "It's been a while. Good job I don't get hypoglycemic!" His attempt at a smart remark was met with a disaproving _Harrumph_! "But something to eat would be good."

"Sit down and I'll see what I can rustle up."

The Doctor settled back into Sarah Jane's sofa. The cushions were positioned perfectly at his back and the warmth from the fire had the overall effect of making him feel quite comfortable. The knawing, hollow emptiness of the last few days was still there, but it didn't feel as all consuming. Maybe it was the 2 glasses of wine… or maybe it was because he _was_ exhausted. Time Lords didn't need to sleep that much, but he had raced from one situation to another. Closing the rift, the frantic search for one last gap, _Donna_. It had all finally caught up with him and he was spent. His eyelids slid closed. '_Just for a minute_…_ just resting my eye_s.' The Doctor thought. '_Sarah will be out with food in a moment and I'll wake up then_.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

The smell of coffee, toast and a fry assaulted his senses, stirring him awake… The thing is, that when he nodded off, he was sitting down and it had most definitely been nightime. The Doctor currently found himself prone, on Sarah Jane's sofa, underneath a cosy duvet with the sun shining through a gap in the curtains.

"Good morning, starshine." Sarah Jane leant against the kitchen door frame in a long white towelling robe, cradling a mug of coffee. "I went to ask if you fancied an omlette and you were out for the count. You looked so tired, I didn't want to wake you."

The Doctor reluctantly extracted himself from his cocoon. He must have looked an absolute state! Crumpled suit, wayward hair, scruffy… pretty much everything. And there was Sarah Jane looking fresh as a daisy. He ran his fingers through his hair hoping he wasn't making it worse. "Thanks for the duvet… and sorry for passing out like that. I swear, I closed my eyes for a second or two just to rest them."

"A _really_ long blink!" Sarah smiled. "You look better today, if a litle rumpled. But you always had a bit of the rumple about you… Now come on and eat before it all goes cold."

Without needing to be told twice, the Doctor was in Sarah Jane's kitchen tucking into a bacon sandwich. Good grief, but he was hungry! He had to remember to do basic things like that. Rose used to be the one who made them stop at regular intervals to eat. Damn… There he goes again. The thought of Rose and his throat started to tighten, making it difficult to swallow. He really needed to stop doing that. Not stop thinking of Rose –_ like that could ever happen_ – but he had to pick his moments more judiciously.

Sarah Jane noticed the melancholy fall across his face. "Are you okay?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No." He said quietly. "If Rose had died, I could at least mourn and move on. I lost _everyone_ in the Time War and as hard as it was, I could process that. Death is inevitable, even to my people… But losing Rose. I keep thinking I should have done more. I could have saved her or I could have gotten through to the other side of the Void."

Sarah Jane found herself holding the Doctor's hand again. "You were looking at the bigger picture. You always did… you always _do_. Think of the catastrophic results had you not stayed."

"Is it wrong of me to not care?"

"Of course not."

"And it's like she's just beyond my reach, but no matter how far I stretch out, I'll never make contact." The Doctor closed his eyes and tried to get his emotions back in check.

Sarah Jane had marveled at his latest incarnation. He had looked so young and carefree during the Summer. If anything, the lonliness he exuded made him look younger and more fragile. That night in the café trying to fix K9, Sarah Jane had all but admitted she had been in love with him. Now, the feelings were different… Not _maternal_ as such but she felt very protective of him. And it was upsetting to see him like this, feeling like he had nobody left. But he wasn't alone. He had _her_. It may have taken him 30 years to come back into her life, and while she had no desire to travel with him again, there was no reason why they couldn't stay in contact.

"Oh what am I like?" The Doctor said, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hands. "It's Christmas Day and I'm unloading all my troubles on to you. I'm sorry."

"Don't give it a second thought." She replied. "Actually, just hold on a moment." Sarah Jane disappeared briefly to the hallway. "Here. Happy Christmas." She handed the Doctor a key. "It's the spare key to my front door. You're welcome here any time you like… Well, providing that the time is_ my_ present."

The Doctor was speechless. The significance of handing over a key wasn't lost on him. He did it so rarely and only to people he considered very special. Sarah Jane had been one of those special people a lifetime ago and he had quite literally dumped her. At the time, he thought it was for the best… _Well, you know what thought did!_ Re-connecting with Sarah Jane during the summer made him feel a little less alone in the Universe and now here she was offering him a place in her home whenever he wanted it. "I don't know what to say. This is…" He clutched the small metal key tightly. "This is lovely. Thank you." He stood up and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But I'm afraid I don't have anything for you."

"That's okay. I don't give presents to get them." She said. "Now, I've been invited to friends for Christmas Dinner. There's going to be so many people there, one more won't make a difference, so come with me."

"Ooooh. Social situations." The Doctor wrinkled his nose. "I'm not quite sure I'm up for that at the moment."

"Okay, then I'll stay here and we can spend the day together…"

"Nooo. No. I'm not disrupting your plans either. Go and be with your friends."

"_You're_ my friend."

"Yeah. I know that." The Doctor said brightly. Sarah was becoming used to his mercurial mood changes. "But now I have a key, I can drop in whenever I want."

All she could do was smile. "I can't persuade you, can I?"

The Doctor just shook his head. "I'm not good company for anyone at the moment. And I look a state and I need to get changed and cleaned up and…"

"Okay!" She laughed, raising her hands in surrender. "But you better stay in touch now. Give me a phone call every so often… Wouldn't kill you." _Was she sure about the Maternal thing? She was certainly starting to sound like it!_

The Doctor just hugged her once more, for old time's sake. "I'll stay in touch. I promise." He said.

As she waved him away from her front door, Sarah was suddenly inspired to write. She watched the TARDIS fade away - the familiar noise caused next door's cat to get quite perturbed - and then returned to her sitting room and cranked up her computer. Her editor would get his 1000 words sooner than she anticipated.

Should old aquaintance be forgot? Reconnecting with the ghost of friendships past by Sarah Jane Smith… 

Fin


End file.
